You are here

Our Shared Values

Widely recognized professor and author Dr. Kathryn Edin will be a keynote speaker at the 2016 LSA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN in April. Dr. Edin will address the vital role that steady jobs, safe places to live, community ties and dignity play in lifting people out of poverty and addressing challenges facing the working poor.

As I come to the end of my first year working for Lutheran Services in America I continue to discover new and wonderful ways that LSA members are making a difference in the communities they serve. The uniqueness of each organization combined with a shared Lutheran heritage makes the LSA network both diverse and united in a common mission. I discovered the same dynamic holds true for the more than 100 organizations that belong to Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) when I attended their annual conference in early November. Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is a professional organization for camp and retreat center leaders. Camps and retreat centers encourage spiritual growth for the whole person through intentional Christian community.

My father was a refugee. I don't think about that often, but I was jolted back to this realization when I attended the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee (LIRS) "Walk of Courage" event. Each year, this event honors people fleeing persecution for a better life, and the people who prayerfully and humbly work in communities around the United States to help them realize that better life.

Being part of this broader faith community called Lutheran means that our work in social ministry has longstanding connections with the Church. LSA is aligned with two national Lutheran Church bodies, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). This affiliation takes shape through our bylaws, our Board of Directors and our members, who are affiliated with or recognized by one or both Church bodies. Our members are very closely connected with their Synods, Districts and congregations in their communities.

Recently, Lutheran Services in America Disability Network (LSA-DN) had the privilege of hosting 30 self-advocates, family members, direct support staff and program staff from Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Filling Homes, KenCrest, Lutheran Family Services of Virginia, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Mosaic for our second "Speak Up! Self-Advocate Training" in Washington, DC.

What does it mean to be part of a larger faith community called Lutheran? And what does Lutheran Services in America — a network of 300 Lutheran social ministry organizations — have to do with it? For Lutheran social ministry, being part of a broader faith community means that we are connected.

Have you ever experienced a disaster? Not the kind where you burn the turkey on Thanksgiving Day or even the time you sent a fundraising letter with all incorrect names. No, I mean a true disaster, such as a hurricane, fire, tornado, flood, earthquake or even a man-made disaster such as a factory explosion. Thankfully I have not and hopefully you haven't either, but the reality is there are disasters large and small, declared and undeclared, each and every year throughout the U.S. Whether they affect one person or thousands of families all disasters leave a path of destruction and heartache in their wake.

With the blink of an eye, the 8 weeks of my fellowship with LSA have come to an end. This always seems to happen – I start out a semester or a summer thinking that I have all the time in the world, but when I look back on it I'm shocked at how quickly it ran by. I want to express my appreciation to the LSA staff for their immense support and guidance this summer, particularly my supervisors: Tania Hernandez-Anderson (Vice President of Marketing) and Deborah Hoesly (Vice President of Development).

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created to ensure equality for individuals' with disabilities. I personally have a mild cognitive disability called Cerebral Palsy. While this affects my fine motor skills as well as my mobility/walking abilities, my disability does not stop me from accomplishing my daily tasks. Over the years, the ADA has helped me overcome issues dealing with employment, transportation, and self-advocacy. However, there are challenges that the ADA has not addressed.

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to represent LSA at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Youth Gathering in Detroit, Michigan. The gathering brought together close to 30,000 youth, adults and volunteers from across the world to serve, reflect and raise awareness on issues like water, poverty, homelessness, hunger, disabilities, among others. I don’t think I have ever been in an event of this magnitude. From main gatherings at Ford Field Center to experiencing part of the Proclaim Community and Proclaim Justice activities, inspiration and impact radiated from every corner of the gathering.